DeKALB, Ill. — The name DeKalb calls to mind the winged-ear logo sported by hybrid corn of the same brand. And now, visitors to the northern Illinois community can read more about the very location where it all began – thanks to a historical marker recently dedicated.
Just west of Northern Illinois University, less than a mile from U.S. Route 38, the bronze plaque tells of the beginning of hybrid corn breeding, thanks to pioneers Tom Roberts and Charlie Gunn. The bronze marker is the first of several planned by a committee of the DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Assoc. (DAAHA), according to board President Larry Mix.
"What prompted it, first of all, is DAAHA’s focus on trying to make the public aware of and have a greater appreciation for the heritage of agriculture innovation in northern Illinois," Mix said.
"These were game-changing innovations with an impact on agricultural advancement, but also on the economy in general," he added.
In 1992, Time magazine noted that hybrid corn was one of the most significant innovations in the past millennium in terms of impact on the world.
"The bottom line is, it was a significant innovation and we want to help people understand that," Mix said.
Probably the most difficult aspect in erecting the marker was finding the precise location of the field where Gunn and Roberts developed the first hybrid.
The plot was difficult to find because it was a secret. According to DAAHA curator Donna Langford, the plot was just a half acre originally, according to an oral history interview with Gunn.
Roberts and Gunn tested their hybrid corn for several years before disclosing the program to the company’s board of directors in 1928. Their tests showed the hybrid had a 35 percent higher yield than the open-pollinated variety.
"We found the right location using Charlie Gunn’s field notes," said DeKalb County historian Sue Breese.
She was pleased with the people who attended the dedication, including representatives of the Illinois Agriculture Assoc., the Illinois Historical Society, DeKalb Mayor John Rey, state Rep. Bob Pritchard and a representative of the Roberts Family.
Rey and Pritchard both worked for DeKalb, known around the area as "The Ag," before changing careers.
Rey said Roberts and Gunn were unassuming, innovative entrepreneurs with the goal of raising farmers’ productivity.
Mix said this is the first in a series of markers being placed by DAAHA to connect people to the agricultural heritage of the area.
"Once we get these markers installed, we plan to have a self-guided tour with a map, a brochure, maybe something you can download electronically," Mix said.
"This isn’t about just barbed wire (which was also invented and patented by DeKalb resident Joseph F. Glidden) or hybrid corn; it’s about a series of innovations," Mix said. "This will be a tourist draw when people see the collective impact of all these different innovations.
"The collective impact is an impressive story. You don’t really appreciate that unless you see it all together."
Mix noted what he called a progressive mindset among the innovators from DeKalb County.
"There’s something about this area that drew the right kind of people to bring about these innovations," Mix said. "It’s a fascinating story."
The second marker was unveiled Monday, Sept. 29, at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, the first in the state and perhaps the nation. The third will recognize the county’s first ag advisor, William Eckhardt.
Breese said other potential markers in the works will recognize barbed wire baron Jacob Haish and the Marsh harvester.
